Combined counter and show-case



7 (No Model.)

J. H. GIMNIGH. COMBINED COUNTER AND SHOW BASE.

Patented Nov. 3, 1896 IIVVEAITOR JfJzf. 61am rz/c/v.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH H. GIMNIOH, OF RED WING, MINNESOTA.

COMBINED COUNTER AND SHOW -CA SE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 570,795, dated November 3, 1896.

Application filed February 18, 1896. $erial No. 579,733. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OSEPE H. GIMNIOH, of Red Wing, in the county of Goodhue and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Combined Counter and Show-Case, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a combined counter and show-case, the counter being particularly adapted as a fruit-counter; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this character simple, durable, and economic in construction adapted for the display, storage, and handling of nuts, fruits, candies, &c., and a further object of the invention is to provide a counter which will be raised from the floor, thereby keeping, the contents of the counter clean and dry, and to provide the counter with trays or display boxes and drawers absolutely dust-proof, and to so arrange the display boxes or trays upon the counter that their contents may be seen to the best possible advantage, and whereby any one or more of the trays or boxes may be rearranged or removed without inconvenience and without disturbing the counter or the contents of the same.

The invention consists in the novel contruction and combination of the several parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of the improved counter. Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section through the counter. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through two forms of the trays or display-boxes with the slides removed. Fig. 4 is a plan view of one of the display boxes or trays, illustrating the slide in place and partly open; and Fig. 5 is a transverse section through a display-box and its slide.

In carrying out the invention the base 10 of the counter may be of any desired width, and is supported a predetermined distance from the floor by legs 11, or their equivalents, and at a desired distance between the front and the rear of the said base a longitudinallylocated vertical partition 12 is secured to the said base, the upper edge of the said partition serving as a support for the forward end of a table 13, constituting the top of the counter.

The rear portion of the table 13 is supported by uprights 14, placed at predetermined distanoes apart, and preferably in lateral alinement. Bars 15 are preferably made to intervene the under face of the rear of the table and the uprights 14., resting directly upon the latter, and'a transverse bar 15 is carried from each of the longitudinal bars 15 at the front portion of each upright to the inner face of the partition 12. Any desired number of intermediate bars 16 is horizontally located between adjacent uprights 14:, while horizontal transverse bars 17, corresponding to the intermediate longitudinal bars 16, extend from the forward edges of the uprights to the partition 12, and corresponding transverse bars 17 and longitudinal bars 16 are in the same horizontal plane, a horizontal set of said bars serving as supports for a drawer 18, as shown in Fig. 2, while a second set of drawers is held to slide upon the upper face of the base of the counter.

A longitudinal beam '19 is secured to the front upper portion of the counter-partition 12 immediately below the table 13, the table extending beyond the said beam, and the.

front face -of this beam is given a downward and forward inclination, and is provided with a rib 20 at its forward edge, which rib may be formed by securing a strip or a piece of beading to the inclined'face of the aforesaid beam.

At predetermined points in the length of the front board or partition 12 of the counter brackets 21 are secured, which brackets rest upon the forward portion of the counter-base,

and the forward faces of these brackets are given an inclination in a downwardly and forwardly direction, the extreme end brackets being preferably much thicker than the intermediate brackets, and they are carried out practically to the forward or front edge of the base of the counter, the intermediate brackets being considerably within the said forward edge of the base.

The upper face of the base 10 of the counter at its front edge is provided with an upwardly-inclined surface 22, and a flange 23 extends upward beyond the forward portion of the said inclined surface, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and A horizontal partition 24 is usually secured to the brackets 21 at a point near their centers when the counter is constructed to receive an upper and a lower set of drawers, and the said partition 24 extends preferably from end to end of the counter and is inclined to stand at right angles to the inclination of the surface 22 of the base, and the under face of the upper beam 19 is likewise given alike inclination. Under this construction an upper display-chamber A is formed, and likewise a lower display-chamber A, the front of each chamber having an inclination downward and outward from the upper portion of the counter to the bottom of the same. The partition 24, dividing the display-space, is provided with a downwardly-extending rib 26 at its forward edge and an upwardly-extending and shorter rib similarly located, as is best shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and any desired number of longitudinal strips 27 is secured to the brackets 21 both above and below the display-partition 24. Prefer ably a stouter beam or cross-bar 28 is located longitudinally in each display-chamber, be-

ing attached to the inner faces of the brackets 21, while. the other cross-bars 27 are secured to the forward faces of the said brackets, and when these larger beams 28 are employed each beam may be provided with one or more springs 29, the said springs being somewhat bowed, and they are adapted to exert tension in an outwardly direction and to stand when free somewhat in advance of the smaller cross-bars 27.

Each display-chamber is adapted to receive a number of display trays or boxes 30, slidable longitudinally in the chamber, and each display box or tray is usually provided with a slide 31, of a transparent material, as shown in Figl4. These trays or display-boxes are placed side by side, and the upper edges of the boxes on the upper tier are placed at the rear of the upper flange 20, and the bottoms of the boxes are then pressed inward to clear the lower flange 25 for the upper tier, being then permitted to drop and rest upon the upper face of the partition 24, the upper flange 20 being of such width and the boxes of such length as to admit of the said boxes being carried upward a sufficient distance to clear the lower flange 25 when the boxes of the said upper tier are being placed in position or are being removed from the display-chambers.

lVhen the springs 29 are employed, they are compressed by the boxes placed in position, serving to hold the upper and lower edges of the boxes tightly pressed against the upper and lower beads or flanges, and therefore when a box is elevated to clear the lower flange of the tier the spring will act to force the lower end of the box outward,

enabling it to be quickly removed. The boxes on the lower tier are introduced behind the upper flange 26 of the lower display-chamber A and at the rear of the base-flange 23.

The backs of the display boxes or trays are preferably provided with beveled surfaces 32 at the top and at the bottom, so that they will readily clear the longitudinal bars 27, and when the springs are not employed the said boxes under this construction may be rocked in the chambers to which they belong and removed readily solely by hand.

If in practice it is found desirable,the boxes may have an inclined or beveled back portion 33, in which event they may be given a greater inclination when in position than the inclination of the front or display section of the counter.

When the display boxes or trays are to be filled with very heavy material, pins 34 are 1. The combination,with a counter having an exterior display-chamber, provided with a downwardly-extending upper flange and an upwardly-extending lower flange, of display boxes or trays of slightly less length than the height of the display-chamber, the

springs located in the said chamber, exerting tension in an outwardly direction, and display trays or boxes removably located within the said chamber at the rear of its flanges, compressing the aforesaid springs, the boxes being of less length than the height of the chamber, as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination,with a supporting-rack for display purposes, having a top and a bottom and rear supports, the top support having a downwardly-extending flange and the lower support an upwardly-extending flange, of display trays or boxes removably located in the said rack, engaging with said supports, the boxes being at the rear of the flanges of the rack and of less length than the space between the top and bottom bearing-surfaces of the rack, and springs secured within the rack, compressed by the boxes when placed in position in the rack, as set forth.

4. A counter,having a display-chamber provided with oppositely-arranged flanges extending along its front edges, boxes arranged in the chamber with their edges adapted to engage the flanges, said boxes being removable from the front of the chamber and springs to hold the boxes engaged with the flanges, substantially as set forth.

5. A counter,having a display-chamber provided with oppositelyarranged flanges a box removable between the flanges, and adapted when inserted in the chamber to engage the flanges with its opposite edges, means to force the box out of the chamber, and a pin to move the box in the chamber to disengage JOSEPH H. GIMNIOH.

YVitnesses:

D. M. NEILL, NELLE PETERSON. 

